Before you became a parent, you probably had your own idea of what adventure meant to you. Backpacking in the mountains? Multi-day river rafting trips? Maybe it was nothing more than a spontaneous day-hike alone with your thoughts.

Those were the days, huh?

Adventures with your toddler in tow likely look different. That’s okay! You don’t have to go too far to bring nature into your day and change up your routine — which can be great for parents who crave adventure and for restless kiddos, too.

Now that school has started up again, mini adventures let you have meaningful experiences outdoors while sticking close to home (i.e. no multi-day road trips required). These mini adventures take minimal planning and will give you (and your kid) a taste of excitement, a breath of fresh air, and hopefully some memorable moments together.

Change up your daily walk

If the daily walk is getting tedious, try focusing on what’s around you. Make a game of finding “all the yellow things,” for example, while observing flowers, leaves, cars or buildings. My friend Julie likes to give her kids specific scavenger hunts, such as “two birds; three things that are red; and a squirrel.” My friend Jen likes to bring in different adjectives, looking for something orange, or something soft, or something wet, or something alive. She helps her toddlers take pictures of the things they find, and then later they make a nature walk photo book to look back on to remember the experience.

Paint a picture with natural elements

Try this one for kids who love painting. Swap out the traditional paintbrush for a twig of pine needles or some found feathers. Talk about where those things come from, and watch how the paint looks different on paper than when you use a brush. You can also change up the canvas. Instead of painting paper, try painting stones, pinecones, wide leaves or paper plates. Another idea? Finger paint with mud. Mix up water and dirt and make handprints and other designs on paper or old cardboard boxes. Or, try mixing a blog of paint with a little soil, and marvel at the resulting art.

Turning your daily walk into a scavenger hunt can help give new life to the same route - plus, you can let nature do the teaching!

Set up a tent in your backyard or basement

There’s something magical about tents and forts. Create a mini “camping” adventure by setting up the tent in your home or yard. Have a fun snack in the tent, or read books with a flashlight. A basement tent is especially successful in cold or rainy weather which makes going outside more challenging. It takes a little set-up and tear-down work on your end, but it’s likely to kill some time and be a fun change.

If you want to take this up a notch, check out our post all about backyard camping with your kids!

Eat (and cook!) outside

Packing a picnic is a wonderful way to jumpstart an everyday adventure. Just by changing up your environment and eating somewhere other than the kitchen table or high chair, you’ll automatically add an element of adventure. Add another layer of fun by cooking the meal outside with your kiddos. Bring the propane stove, a simple skillet meal or one-pot recipe, and have the entire meal experience outdoors. This idea works great in a day-use area at a campground or state park. Don’t want to mess with a stove? A simpler way to make a meal outdoors is to bring cold ingredients to just mix them all together in a bowl to dish out, like fruit salad or pasta salad. This idea for “dinner on a cutting board” seems made for the picnic blanket!

Enjoy a meal (or two) outside with your toddler for a change of scenery!

Learn about holidays together

Another way to create everyday adventures is by recognizing holidays — even the ones you don’t necessarily celebrate yourself. My friend Meg’s young daughter loves Lunar New Year, and they cook a special dish and talk about the Zodiac sign for the year. Even if your kid doesn’t understand the idea of a holiday yet, just having some calendrical inspiration can feel adventurous. Plus, this might tie into your older kids’ lessons from school, which can be a fun way to make learning more personal and memorable.